Machine for removing stems from broom-corn



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. LAMBOY.

MAOHINB FOR REMOVING STEMS FROM BROOM OORN.

NO. 520,568, Patented May 29, 1894.

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(No Model.)

. P. LAMBOY. MACHINE FOR REMOVING STEMS PROM BROOM 001m.

No. 520,568. Patented May 29, 1894.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

'TATES UNITE PATENT FFIGEe PHILIP LAMBOY, OF FONDA, NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 520,568, dated May 29,1894. Application filed October 27,1893. smart. 489,247. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP LAMBOY, of Fonda, in the county of Montgomeryand State of New York, have invented a new and useful Machine for Removing Stems from Broom- Oorn, of which the followingis a specification.

In the manufacture of brooms and brushes made of broom-corn, it is the usual practice to remove the stems from the broom-corn that is to form the outer layer of the broomhead, so as to give to the latter a better external appearance; each spear of broom-corn containing a stem which is surrounded by the finer-outer fibers so as to render the removal of said stem by mechanical means a difficult matter, and the ,work of effecting such removal has heretofore been always done by hand and has involve'd considerable expense to effect it.

The object of this invention is to provide facilities for effecting the unstemming of the broom-corn mechanically; and I attain this object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which are herein referred to and form part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my machine; Fig. 2 a side elevation of the same, showing portions .of the spurs of the feeding-wheelbroken away to expose hidden parts; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sect-ion of Fig.1 at the line X X.

As represented in the drawings, A designates the frame of my machine, which may be made substantially in the form shown, or in any preferred form. Journaled on said frame are two shafts, B and O, which are geared together, by the gear-wheels, D, so that said shafts will be rotated at the same speed in different directions, as indicated by arrows on Fig. 3.

Edesignates a feeding-wheel that is secured to the shaft B and is provided with teeth to form intermediate spaces into which the buttend of the spears of broom-corn can be inserted.

F designates another feeding-wheel which is adj ustably secured to the shaft B, so that the distance between it and the wheel E can be varied to suit diiferent lengths of broomcorn; radiating from the periphery of the wheel F is a series of spurs, 1, preferably made of wire, or small rods, spaced apart so to allow the finer fibers of the broom-corn to be inserted between them, but sufficiently close together to prevent the insertion of the stems of the broom-corn between them.

, The wheels E and F form afeeding-xnechanism whereby the broom-corn is carried to the device for removing the stems from the broom-corn. The butt end of the spears of the broom-corn is inserted in a space between the teeth of the wheel E, and the finer fibers of the broom-corn are entered between spurs of the wheel F which are located correspondingly to the space in the wheel E in which the butt-end of the spear is fixed, so that said spear will be parallel, or approximately so, to the shaft B.

O designates a pair of feeding-wheels that are secured to the shaft 0, and are provided with teeth like those of the wheel E, or substantially like them; the wheels Gare arranged so that their periphery will extend inwardly beyond the ends of the spurs 1, and so that they will be between the wheels E and F.

The wheels G constitute a feeding device whereby the removed stems will be carrie out of the machine. a

H designates a knife for cutting out, or breaking oi, the stems of the broom-corn; said knife is curved-practically concentrically to the center of the shaft Band is arranged above said shaft so as to be adjustable in respect to inner side of the series of spurs 1for the purpose of fixing its point, 2, closely adjacent to the side of said spurs; said point should be bent downward, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, for the purpose of insuring its passing under the raised stem of the broom-corn lying on the points of the spurs 1. The cutting-edge 3, of said knife is a concave that is arranged angularly, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the stem will be positively cut or broken from the spear of broom-corn. The .rearwardly curved-portion of the knife forms a guard, I, that will prevent an untimely discharge of the broom-corn from the spurs 1. A branch of the guard I curves concentrically to the center of the shaft 0, and forms a guard, J, which will prevent the stems from being prematurely discharged from the wheels G. A

receptacle, K, is arranged directly under the IOO and, in order to efiect a positive dislodgment of the broom-corn from the spurs l, a finger, 4, is attached to said receptacle, and, extends, in an angular direction, over the lower end of the guard I, where it will lie in the path of the broom-corn carried by the spurs 1, and, by said finger, the broom-corn'will be positively discharged into the receptacle K. Another receptacle, L, is arranged under the wheels Gfor the reception of the stems carried by said wheels; said receptacle is provided with an inclined finger, 5, which will dislodge "the stems from the wheels G, and effect the positive discharge of said stems into the receptacle L.

M designates a presser-bar that is arranged over theknife H to form a passage, N, between said knife and presser-bar, the rearmost end of said passage terminates within the line of the bottom of the spaces between the teeth of the wheels G, so as to conduct the removed stems directly into said spaces, in each of which a stem will be lodged until removed by the finger 5. The foremost portion of the presser-bar M is bent downward, as at 6, to press the stems downward into position where the point 2 of the knife willpositively pass under said stems and insure their entrance into the passage N; the outer end of said presser-bar is curved upwardly, as at 7, to facilitate the engagement of the stems under said p'resser-bar.

For the purpose of imparting a rotary motion to the shafts B and O, and their attached arts, a crank-handle, O, can be secured to one of the wheels attached to either of said shafts for the purpose of turning said shafts by hand; or a treadle can be connected to a crank on either of said shafts, so as to effeet the rotation of the shafts by foot-power; or pulleys can be attached to either of said shafts to be driven by a belt from any suitable m'o'tiv'e power, but I do not confine myself to any particular method of rotating said shafts and their attached parts.

This invention can be used independently of any other machine, or it may be attached to a hurl-cutter of the usual construction, but in "either case my invention will embody the same construction.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The spears of broom-corn, having theirbuttends cut in the usual manner, are inserted in themach'ine by fixing the butt-end in a space between two contiguous teeth of the wheel E and the finer fibers between corresponding spurs of the wheel F, the stem of the spur of 'broom 'corn, by reason of its size, cannot enter the space between said spurs and will remain on the end of said spurs; by the rotation of the wheels E and F, the spear of broom-corn will be carried around until the stem passes under the end 7 of the presser-bar M, and by the bend 6, of said presser-bar, said stem will be pressed down to enter the passage N, and, in passing over the knife I-I, said stem will be cut, or broken, from the spear; the stem will then be in the passage N, but still engaged on the ends of the spurs 1, whereby said stem will be carried rearward to enter a space between the teeth of the wheels G, and, by the rotation of said wheels, the stem will be carried around until it passes the end of the guardrJ, afterwhich the stem will be dislodged from the wheels G, by the'action of the finger 5, and fall into the receptacle L. The finer fibers of the broom-corn, which remain engaged between the spurs 1, will be carried over the guard I until they are displaced therefrom by the action of the finger 4, and fall into the receptacle K, thereby effecting the separation of the stems from the fibers of the broom-corn automatically.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'- l. A machine for removing stems from broom-corn as herein described, and consisting of a feeding mechanism adapted to raise the stems above the level of the outer fibers of the broom-corn, a stationary knife fixed in the stems but to admit the finer fibers of the broom-corn, a presser-bar arranged to press the stems against the end of said spurs, and a stationary knife fitted to remove the stems from the broom-corn, as and for the purpose herein specified.

3. In a machine for removing stems from broom-corn, the combination of a feeding mechanism whereby the broom-corn will be carried to the stem-removing mechanism, a stationary knife arranged to effect the removal of the stems from the broom-corn, a stem-carrier arranged in relation to the feeding-mechanism as herein described, and a passage arranged to conduct the removed stems to the stem-carrier, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

PHILIP LAMBOY. 

